


Amortentia

by lukeisfobaf (polie121900)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Hogwarts AU, M/M, gryffindor!chris, hufflepuff!phil, ravenclaw!dan, ravenclaw!pj
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-15
Updated: 2016-02-24
Packaged: 2018-03-18 01:24:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3550883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/polie121900/pseuds/lukeisfobaf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Dan's last year at Hogwarts, and he doesn't think much of it. Sometime soon school would be over and he would be left to find a job for himself, most likely in the Muggle community (as he's not too fond of any of the magical jobs offered). It's not like he had any friends to be sad about leaving, he was here to learn, and that was it. He just plans to do well in classes, maybe even graduate with honors, maybe even as Head Boy, then leave. What he doesn't plan on is meeting a quirky Hufflepuff named Phil while on class, which completely disrupts his entire year, but not necessarily in a bad way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Dan

"Gryffindor!!!!" The Sorting Hat exclaimed. 

Immediately, every student at the Gryffindor table roared with applause. I brought my hands up to politely clap for the new first year. The girl in front of the entire school, the Sorting Hat on her head, grinned, her eyes wide with awe. She had no idea what she was getting herself into, but in her defense, no one did. To her, this was just a fairy tale dream come true, a magical place full of adventure and fun. She would soon learn. I mean, it's not like it's bad here, but honestly, the whole sense of wonder wears away after a while. It's just a fact of life, I guess. It's just school. The girl excitedly rushed to her table, an older Gryffindor boy congratulating her and giving up his seat for her to sit. I stopped clapping, my gaze falling to my my hands folded neatly on my lap.

McGonagall began her speech, which I naturally ignored. Not that it was terrible, or that I'm terrible, but I had heard it six times before. Certainly no reason to have to listen to it once more. I stared at the table where the food was soon to appear, desperately wishing for McGonagall to finish her seemingly seven hour speech. My hand flew to my stomach as it began to rumble, sounding like a dying whale. The boy next to me turned to look at me, shooting me a strange look. My cheeks tinged bright red as I looked down at my lap. 

This atmosphere was driving me insane. I felt as if I couldn't breath. I could feel a panic attack coming on. I needed to leave. But how? The headmaster was  _right there._ Maybe if I waited until the food came, maybe then...

I couldn't wait another second. Standing up, I ducked my head, creeping towards the door. Thankfully, the students didn't seem to notice me. Biting my lip, I reached behind me, breathing a silent sigh of relief when my hands grasped the door handle. Opening the door slightly ajar, I slipped through the crack, shutting the door as quietly as possible. Seeing as all students were expected to be inside the great hall, every torch had been put out, and I was enveloped in darkness. 

Taking a deep breath, I pressed my body against the cold wall, sliding down to the ground. I closed my eyes, simply focusing on breathing. It's not like this was uncommon for me, I had to step out of public activities to calm down due to a panic attack quite often in the previous year. Honestly, I was hoping I could get through this year without one, but I should have known better. I opened my eyes, rubbing my face and eyes as I did so, groaning.  _In.... out...._ I continued to focus on breathing, just until my heart rate calmed down. Checking my pulse via my wrist, I took a deep breath, laying my head back against the cold wall. 

Realizing I was calm enough to go back into the great hall, perhaps even eat, I placed my hands on the cold cement floor, using the only upper body strength I had to push myself up. My stomach rumbled again, and I rolled my eyes. "Hold on a second, I'll be eating in a moment..." I muttered. Oh great, I did it again. I'm that weirdo talking to himself  _again._ Good thing no one was around to hear my psycho babble. I began to move towards the door, only managing to take a step when I heard heavy breathing.

I stopped, turning towards the sound. I didn't dare call out, knowing full well there were some seriously weird, possibly dangerous things in this school. I looked into the black darkness, wondering what had been making the strange sound. Then, as if out of nowhere, a tall figure with a scarf flying behind it flew out at me. My eyes widened as it slammed into me with an  _oof!_ We hit the cold hard ground, the strange figure landing on top of me.

"Oh my god, I am so sorry!" The figure said, its voice rather deep. It was a he, I think. I could barely see, but I just assumed. I was too shocked to even speak. The figure scrambled off of me, rambling, "I didn't mean to, I'm sorry, I was late, I didn't want to get in trouble, I am _so_ sorry, are you okay?" I gulped, nodding my head. He grabbed my hand, pulling me up to my feet. By now I was seriously glad he couldn't see me, as my cheeks were now  _seriously_ red, my face heating up severely as I continued to blush. "I really am sorry." He muttered.

"It's okay." I awkwardly managed to get out. 

"Okay, good." He said. "I wouldn't want to start my last year at Hogwarts seriously hurting someone with my stupid awkward, clumsy tendencies."

We stood in silence for a moment. I'm sure he wanted me to respond, but I didn't know how. What does one say to some kid who slams into you, sends you toppling to the ground, then won't stop apologizing? Exactly. Nothing. I had no idea how to respond, how to continue, but damn, I was hungry. "M-maybe we should go into the g-great hall." I stuttered, looking down at my feet. "I, um, uh-"

"Yeah." The boy said, cutting me off. "I'm pretty hungry, I could eat a horse!" His tone was positive, happy, like he was grinning. I nodded slightly, turning toward the door, walking. Fumbling around in the complete darkness to find the handle for a moment, my hand grasped the door handle. Only hesitating for a moment, I pulled the doors open, the light hitting my face with the brightness of a thousand suns. I'm not even being dramatic, it was intense.

I turned towards the boy, my mouth opening slightly as I looked at him. He was absolutely stunning. His dark ivory hair done into a fringe like mine contrasted dramatically against his pale white skin, his eyes as blue as sapphires. He wore the yellow Hufflepuff scarf around his neck. He was tall, only a half an inch or so shorter than me. He wore a grin on his face, an adorable twinkle in his eye as he turned to look at me. My cheeks tinged pink. 

Opening his mouth to reveal a set of seriously white teeth, he said, "Sorry for slamming into earlier, by the way. I know I've already apologized, but I felt like I had to again, I guess. I don't know." I nodded slightly as he spoke, my attention fully on him. "See around, I guess." I nodded, my cheeks becoming pinker. He turned around, walking back to the Hufflepuff table. I looked down at my feet, slowly shuffling towards the Ravenclaw table.

Sitting down in my previous spot, I looked around, my eyes searching for anyone who had noticed me. Thankfully, I was a rather invisible guy to begin with, so people generally didn't notice me. So I began to eat, trying to ignore the thoughts of the stunning boy who I had encountered only moments earlier.

Good thing the food is good.


	2. Dan

I bit my lip, absentmindedly playing with my blue scarf I had so delicately draped around my neck. Although I had only gotten about an hour of sleep last night, I somehow felt fully awake, thanks to a lost spell I read about the night before in one of those books more ancient than Dumbledore himself, if that is even possible. PJ laid collapsed on his bed next to mine, his head hanging off one end, his left foot hanging off the other. I doubted he would be up in the next two hours, but one can hope. Truthfully, I just wished he would wake up so he would stop muttering about everything going on in his life currently. It generally is quite annoying. However, none of the other boys seemed even remotely phased by it. They slumbered on, ignoring PJ's confusing sentence fragments piercing their ears.

I looked out the window, pulling my knees to my chest. My scarf flopped over my knees. I gently sighed, a soft breath of air escaping from my lips. 

"Can't sleep either, huh?"

I looked over towards PJ, immediately recognizing his voice. I rolled my eyes, taking in his sleepy appearance: bed head, pajamas, and all. "What are you even talking about, Peej?" I muttered, my voice deeper than usual. "You were literally just asleep." I turned my attention back to the morning sunrise.

"Sorry," He replied, his voice low as well. "It's just, you seemed like you needed someone to talk to. Is that alright?" I could hear the weak smile in his voice. 

"I'm fine," I said, closing my eyes. "I just have too much energy. Go back to bed. You'll need the rest for our first day." I really didn't mean to be so cross with him, I just needed to avoid company at that moment. I genuinely liked having PJ around, really, but he had always been so happy and positive. I wasn't. No wonder I had never had a best friend. The only person who even knows of my existence has the power to destroy it. Go figure.

*******************

I tapped my fingers on my leg, every second counting down until the moment I was allowed to leave the classroom. This particular class, Charms first thing Monday morning, was rather mundane to me, as I had mastered each charm we are to learn this year last year. I usually enjoyed classes, but for this particular one, I was ready to tail end out of there the moment we were dismissed.

"Mr. Howell, may I please see your color changing charm?" Professor Flitwick asked me, standing on a stool in front of my desk.

I nodded, pulling out my wand. Pointing at the rose, I murmured, " _Colovaria_." The rose straightened up, turning from the classic red to a fantastic mix of blue, yellow, purple, and pink. The intricate vase that held it was no longer comparable to the beauty of the flower. I put my wand onto the table, looking back towards Professor Flitwick with a blank expression that greatly contrasted his own.

"My my!" He exclaimed, his face lighting up with joy. "It seems that you've been brushing up on your studies before classes! Fantastic job!"

I muttered a quiet expression of thanks as he walked away, his stool hovering behind him. 

As he reached his podium at the front of the classroom, he announced with a booming voice, his wand to his throat, "That will be all for today class. However, I would like for you to study up on your old charms and work on perfecting your color changing charm before our next class." Looking directly at me, he continued, "If you already have it perfected, I give my kudos to you, as you have an assignment free week!" 

I stood up, gathering my things. However, just as I had turned to leave, the Professor exclaimed, "Ah! Do not forget your roses, as you should use those to practice with!" He grinned, shouting even though he was using an amplifying charm to amplify his own voice. My ears felt like they were going to bleed. I quickly snatched my rose from the table, leaving the vase deserted as I dashed out of the classroom.

Although I'm a Ravenclaw, I often do extremely stupid things. Say, for example, not looking where I was going when dashing out of a classroom.

As I stepped out of the classroom, I heard an extremely loud shriek, then felt the force of a large dog crash into me. I fell toppling to the floor, my body hitting the ground with an  _oof!_ For a moment, I lost control of most of my senses. When my vision returned, I noticed my rainbow rose had fallen into my mouth, the only place safe from being completely crushed by the large mass that had fallen on top of me. Recognizing the face, my eyes widened, my cheeks turning a bright shade of pink. I squirmed a bit, attempting to escape from under his weight but to no avail.

Lifting his head up, he moaned slightly, rubbing his eyes as if he had been asleep for hours. Looking down, his jaw dropped slightly, as I'm sure he recognized me as well. My cheeks turned an even brighter pink. I gulped. Suddenly, he started giggling, nearly unnoticeable wrinkles appearing next to his eyes. Struggling to breath, he bit his lips, his cheeks turning almost as pink as mine, yet in a good way. Regaining control of his breath, he muttered, "We really need to stop meeting like this."

I nodded, my entire body shaking as he climbed off of me, falling onto his knees before standing up. Holding out his hand, he smiled. "Need help up?" I nodded again, attempting to tone down the amount of pink on my pale face. Grinning, he took my hand, hoisting me to my feet. For a moment, we just stood in silence, staring at each other as other students walked around us in the hall. Realizing the rose was still in my mouth, I panicked, my jaw dropped slightly. The rose tumbled from my mouth, gently falling to the ground between us. 

The boy smiled, sticking his hand out between us. "I don't believe we've been properly introduced yet." He said, his gentle eyes keeping his smile sweet. "Phil Lester, Hufflepuff. Seventh Year. Has quite the affinity for small animals. And you?"

"U-um, my name is....." I stuttered, my cheeks turning pinker than usual. It's horrid, the way my feelings are so obvious it's not even funny. "Dan."

He grinned. "Ravenclaw."

"Y-yeah." I said, looking down at my feet. "I uh, I rather like-"

Looking behind him, his jaw dropped, his eyes widening. Turning back towards me, he exclaimed, "I am so sorry, but I have to go!" He bent down, picking up my rose. "I totally forgot that I had promised my brother that I would help him with his charms. He's never really been good at it, you see." Handing me my rose, he smiled. "I hope I'll be able to see you around again sometime, Dan." 

I gingerly took the rose, nodding.

He grinned, immediately taking off in the opposite direction, his dark robe and yellow scarf flying behind him.

I felt a strange sensation in my chest, my cheeks beginning to burn. I gently bit my lip, holding the rose close to me. "Oh no..." I muttered. _  
_


	3. Dan

"Let's talk about ratios, shall we?" The teacher said, raising his face so that seemingly the entire school could hear him. I rolled my eyes. Even though I literally go to a school for MAGIC, they still manage to find time to teach about boring muggle subjects like algebra. Being an avid learner myself, I had learned this in my 4th year, so these mandatory classes were  _incredibly_ boring to me. 

"Let's say that our class is a ratio." The professor said, scanning each of us carefully. "In the classroom today, we have... ah...." He paused for a moment, very obviously attempting to count heads. "13 boys and..... 7 girls."

I cringed, looking down at my desk. "14 boys and 6 girls." I muttered, my cheeks flushing a deep shade of red. Really, this happens too often. I don't look that feminine, do I?

A boy I recognized raised his hand tentatively. "E-excuse me sir, but there are 14 boys and 6 girls, not 15 boys and 7 girls.." He spoke, his voice slightly shaky, yet monotone and dull. My eyes widened slightly, my ears tingeing a light shade of pink.

"Ah, I'm afraid you're mistaken, dear boy!" The professor exclaimed, his face turned up in a slight cocky smirk as he paced around the room. As he stopped next to my desk, my heart dropped. I looked down at my lap as he continued to speak, every word the most cringeworthy thing I had ever heard. "It's not very kind to insult a lady, much less our quiet young Daniella here."

I started shaking, my face and neck completely red from embarrassment. My left hand curled into a fist under my desk to keep it from shaking so terribly, to no avail. I took a deep breath, attempting to calm myself. "S-sir..." I stuttered, my face reaching tomato like levels of red. "M-my names... D-dan." My voice was lower than usual.

The professor froze, his mouth hanging open. I could just imagine the thoughts going through his head, and none were any good. I could see the gears frozen in his head, unable to start to turn. The confusion was plastered all over his bearded, wrinkled face.

I quietly groaned, letting my face fall to the desk.

************************

"This is, quite possibly, the worst day EVER." I groaned, dramatically sighing as my head fell to the side.

"Oh, come on," PJ replied, his lip jutted out in a sympathetic pout. We walked through the courtyard as we spoke, the breeze blowing my fringe every which way, which caused me to scowl even more. "Surely it can't be that bad." He continued. "I mean, you did well during your practice today, surely. Wait, you're trying out for the musical coming in spring, right?"

I scowled. "Absolutely not."

PJ looked at me with purely fictitious shock, his jaw dropped in an almost comic way. "But why not?" His expression changed to a more genuine one, his gentle smile lifting. "You are really good, you know."

I rolled my eyes. "Let me reiterate. Worst. Day. EVER."

Suddenly, as I looked up, I locked eyes with Phil. In that instant, his striking blue eyes brightened, a smile appearing on his face. My scowl melted. His posture straightened, sitting tall while he waved at me from across the courtyard, the biggest grin I had ever seen in my life plastered across my face My lips turned up at the corners, my ears turning a rosy pink.

"Worst day every, huh?" PJ teased. I could hear the smirk in his voice.

"Shut up." I muttered, my voice low and gruff.

He giggled.


	4. Phil

"So, who's the girl?"

I jumped, my eyes wide. Turning to look at the source of the sound, I pouted, my lower lip jutted out like a toddler. "Seriously Chris?" I grumble, turning back to face the courtyard. "You scared me."

Chris grinned, throwing his arm around my shoulders. "Sorry mate, I didn't mean to." I relaxed a bit, my shoulders lowering. "But seriously, you're grinning like a madman." He continued, smirking. "Who's the girl?"

I tensed up again. "There's no girl."

Without batting an eye, Chris continued, "So a boy then?"

My neck turned red as I looked away, my entire face heating up. "Sh-shut up." I stuttered, gripping my wrist gently at my side.

"So there _is_ one!" Chris exclaimed.

I looked down at my lap, my blush deepening. "No there isn't." I looked down at the ground.

Chris grinned, his entire body relaxed at my side, his arm still wrapped around my shoulders. "You're a terrible liar, mate." I remained silent, my red contrasted by my yellow scarf. "It's alright, you can tell me if you want. You know I have no room to judge."

I lifted my head, looking directly at Chris. I opened my mouth, beginning to speak. "I-" I stopped, my jaw dropping slightly as I noticed Dan walking across the courtyard with another Ravenclaw boy with dark curly hair. My eyes followed him as he walked, a slight smile painted on my lips.

Suddenly, Dan looked over towards me, our eyes meeting. My heart started beating uncontrollably in my chest. My entire face lit up, A massive grin enveloping my face as I excitedly waved to him. I couldn't help it, something seems to come over me every time I see him. As Dan waved back, my heart beat even harder, so much so that my chest sort of hurt, but I didn't mind. 

"Ahh, I understand." Chris murmured, relaxing into the back of bench, his posture becoming a bit of a slouch.

I gulped, turning back to face Chris. "Um, un.... understand what, exactly?"

Chris laughed. "He's pretty."

I blushed. "Yeah."

Chris's eyes widened, his jaw dropping. "Wait, SERIOUSLY?"


	5. Dan

PJ is my best friend and I love him to death, I really do, but when that boy starts snoring I swear to god I cannot stand it. It sounds like a small elephant getting crushed by a much larger, much more intimidating elephant. And as much as I would totally love to be able to sleep with that going on, I can’t. So whenever it does start to happen (damn you allergy season), I adopt my “sitting by the window and staring at the moon” on the ledge and abandon all hope of getting any sleep at all.

Tonight, the moon seemed larger than usual, I think. It was a full moon so surely that could contribute to that, but it honestly looked a bit bigger. Perhaps it was a special moon that I never cared to learn about.

As I looked into the night sky, I subconsciously began to name each constellation as my eyes passed over it, remembering the greek myth that contributed to its naming. PJ got stuffed up and snored so often, I had managed to memorize every constellation and star without realizing. Well, it definitely helped that space was interesting, but watching the stars nearly every night for seven years can surely do that to you.

PJ’s snoring got louder.

I cringed. It was worse than usual tonight. I’m not sure how I’ll be able to manage even being in the same room as- wait.

The idea hit me.

I know it was against the rules, but perhaps I could sneak down into the courtyard and watch the stars from there. Not only would it be incredibly easy (my breath is nearly silent and I’ve mastered the art of slipping away unnoticed nearly completely I think), but it would get me away from PJ’s unbearable snoring. All I need to do is find a sweater and my scarf because it would definitely be cold. Sure, it would be risky, but at this point, I really didn’t care.

A black sweatshirt, a Ravenclaw scarf, and a few minutes later and I was ready to go. I pulled my black Converse on quietly, making sure not to make any noises to alert the other boys of what I was doing. As soon as I was laced up, I tucked my wand into my sweatshirt pocket and took a deep breath. Closing my eyes, I took a small step forward, tenderly putting my foot down in front of me. As the old wooden floors creaked, I cringed. Biting my lip, I continued on. My face scrunched up further and further with each step. I desperately wished no boy would wake up in the middle of the night to find me creeping about dressed in muggle clothing. That would be incredibly awkward and difficult to explain... Just imagining it made me cringe.

Thankfully, I made it out of the dormitory without any hiccups. Sure, there was the absolutely terrifying moment when Mr. Filch's cat caught me sneaking down the staircase, but it was  _just_ a cat. Okay, maybe not just a cat. I swear that cat tells Filch all of the students secrets. Perhaps she's a human who can transform into a cat like McGonagall. An animagus maybe? Perhaps just a charm..  _Or maybe it's just a normal cat and you're incredibly paranoid..._ Part of my brain said.  _Shut the fuck up._ The other retorted.

Stepping into the outdoor hall, I took a bit of a deep breath. It was strangely involuntary, like I was being controlled. A small gust of wind blew towards me, carrying the cool temperature of the freshly fallen snow to hit my face. A small snowflake landed on my nose, a faint smile appearing on my lips. My cheeks turned pink from the cold. The smile faded.

Walking to the nearest bench, I tapped it, muttering a warmth charm. The light layer of frost and snow on it melted away, leaving a warm, comfortable bench. I sat down, leaning back, gazing up at the enchanting night sky. It was a nice feeling.

The nice feeling didn’t last very long.

Hearing a shriek, I jumped to my feet, my eyes wildly searching my surroundings. My heart was racing, beating like a drummer on speed. It didn’t take long to find the source of the sound, a familiar face buried in a small pile of snow, his wand and books scattered around him. His ebony hair was all I could see of his head, but that was enough. What other clumsy dark haired giant did I know?

As I walked over towards him, my entire body began to shake for reasons unknown. I wasn’t cold and I wasn’t afraid, so what’s the big deal wobbly knees?

Tapping him on the shoulder, I took a breath. “Do you, uh, do you need some help?”

He rolled over slowly, groaning. He shivered as he rubbed his eyes, his arms shaking horribly. Brushing his fringe out of his eyes, he looked up at me. “Thanks, but I-” As if realizing who I was, his eyes widened and he backed away from me slightly. He looked like the IRL equivalent of going “!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”, if that makes any sense.

I tilted my head slightly. “Are you okay?”

He gulped, his face burning red. “Y-yeah, I’m okay!!!”

I held out my hand, leaning closer to him. “Here, let me help you up.” He nodded, gripping my hand. As we locked eyes, I blushed, looking away. His blue eyes were piercing, yet like the sun in the way that you can’t stare directly at them for too long. My heart began to beat wildly again.

Quickly pulling him to his feet, I looked away, biting my lip. Why was I getting so flustered over this clumsy idiot, especially since we’ve only spoken like twice?

As I looked back at him, I realized he was grinning. It was an infectious grin, but I couldn’t bring myself to smile. “Thanks for helping me up, by the way.” He said, giggling slightly. “I’m sure I would have gotten up on my own eventually, but it was nice to be helped anyways.” I nodded slightly as he spoke, making sure he knew I was listening. “You’re a really nice guy, Dan.”

My eyes opened a bit wider as a blush crept across my face, letting my pale skin become redder than usual. I tried hiding it by looking away, but Phil just giggled.

“What are you doing out here this late anyways?” Phil asked, an innocent look painted on his face. His eyes were filled with genuine curiosity, like a small child or a gentle puppy. “It’s like-”

“3 a.m., I know.” I finished, cutting him off mid-sentence. I felt a bit rude doing it, but the entire conversation seemed just so predictable. “I’m just not tired, that’s all.”

“Oh.” Phil said, his eyes looking very puppy-dog like. Managing to put a smile back up on his face, he continued, “You really should get some sleep, though. Pre-exam work starts tommorow so we can get it all done before Christmas break, so you’ll definitely need your beau- I MEAN!!! Y-your sleep!” A red blush crept across his own face, covering both his heated cheeks and his neck. “A brain can’t function without enough sleep!”

It was an odd spectacle, seeing such a seemingly naive person my own age blush and stutter over his words because of something he said. And to me, nonetheless. It was kinda… cute, though. Wait, CUTE!!?!?!?!?? Cute, like puppy cute, like pet cute! I most definitely do not like another boy, especially THAT boy like that! No way, no how. Cute like little relative cute, not cute like crush cute! That is not how I’m going to be, absolutely not.

Now I was the one blushing.

“I-I’ll make sure to d-do that.” I stuttered, unable to look him directly in the eye. He looked almost as confused as anyone watching me would, perhaps even more. My face reddened even more. “Okay I have to go, BYE!” I exclaimed, my heart racing faster and faster. As soon as the words had left my mouth, I turned tail and ran, perhaps faster than I had ever ran before. I bolted up the stairs and into the dorm rooms, practically hissing the password. I left caution to the wind as I ran, ignoring the amounts of noises I was making. _Idiot move, Dan._

Keeling over, I placed my hands on my knees, forcing myself to breath. I needed to calm down, I needed to stop freaking out about something I didn’t fully understand. As soon as I had my breath under control, I would lay down in bed and force myself to sleep in the hopes that tomorrow will be much less chaotic.

Suddenly, I realized I couldn’t hear PJ’s snoring anymore.

Regaining a standing position (still with a slight slouch because I’m AWFUL), I slowly turned around to see the horror that awaited behind me. As I turned, I gulped, shuddering slightly as what was most likely behind me. As I finished turning, I realized I was right, and this was very much not a good thing.

“What’s got you all worked up, Dan?” PJ asked, his eyes full of concern.

“Nothing.” I said, turning away from him to hide my blushing face.

PJ giggled. “Is it that boy again?”

My teeth were clenched, my face red with embarrassment. “LEAVE ME ALONE.”

A cocky smirk came over PJ's face, one corner slightly more upturned than the other. “Ah, so it is!”

“Sh-shut up Peej.”

PJ laughed. “Never.”


	6. Dan

My favorite thing in the _entire_ world is when my limbs shake uncontrollably so that every other student knows exactly what's going on inside my brain.

In case you weren't able to tell, that was sarcasm. Honestly, if you weren't, I don't really know what to tell you. You're fresh out of luck.

As I stared up at the sign that looked charmed onto the wall (and done rather awfully, may I add), my hands began to tremble while hanging limply at my sides. The style was rather crude as if someone had taken an ancient educational decree from the infamous Umbridge's archives and changed it to read a different message. However, the cringe-worthy style was not the only thing to drive me mad. The message was as follows:  _All seventh-year students will be required to take at least 1 Muggle Fine-Arts Class. Available classes include Theatre/Drama, Vocal Chorus, Instrumental Band, Individual Instrument, and Dance._

"Oh my god, dance?" A girl's voice exclaimed behind me. "I've always, like, wanted to try dance! I can't believe Hogwarts is actually offering it!"

A softer voice almost immediately replied. "McGonagall must think that building these skills now will most certainly improve our future whether we end up living in the Muggle world or not."

The louder girl laughed. "You always have the craziest ideas!" She laughed again, snorting a bit. "But like seriously, you should totally join Dance with me, it'll be super fun!"

"I don't know..." The soft voice said. "I'm thinking of just doing an individual instrument."

The louder girl yawned. "Whatever, you do you."

My teeth clenched as my hands shook harder. I shouldn't really be eavesdropping, but (as my legs were currently locked in place and the two girls were literally right behind me) I really had no other choice. My face turned pink as my head trembled.

"Anyways!" The girl exclaimed, causing the hair on the back of my neck to stand on end. "I'll be going to the music room tonight to ask about the details about Dance and choir. It's upstairs two doors down from Fluffy's forbidden room, you should totally meet me there."

"Sorry, I don't think so." The soft-spoken girl said. "I'm sure McGonagall will talk about it tomorrow in class to make sure everyone signs up."

The loud girl scoffed. "Lame."

I forced myself to quit listening after that. As much as I love listening to toxic female friendships, I don't. Currently, I was too focused on the fact right in front of my nose (literally). Words like "all seventh-year students", "all",   
required", and " _fine arts_ " stuck out like a sore thumb to me. The reality of the situation had slapped me in the face like a brick.  _I would have to participate in a fine arts course. **Mom will make me choose piano. Everyone will see that I'm actually talented.  ~~Everyone will know my name.~~**_

I should have wanted to cry. I know I should have felt something, anything. But I felt empty, hollow, emotionless. I couldn't feel a thing like I was made of nothingness. 

I wish I could just quickly finish my last year here so I could leave, so I would never have to interact with these people (or any people in general, really) ever again.

Was that a symptom of mental illness? Probably. But I really didn't care at that moment. All I needed was just some rest up in the dorm while the other boys were away with their girlfriends and whatnot. 

 

****************

 

I hesitated in front of the door, my extended hand held centimeters from the wooden handle. What was I doing here? If I let myself play piano, I'll fall right back into the addiction that is music. Last time I played the piano, I didn't notice the annoying muggle kids that snuck up on me with slushies in hand. It may seem like the "throwing slushies cliche" is just something from Glee, but elementary school kids were cruel. I had red and purple stains on my white sweater for months. There was no way I was going to chance that again.

And yet, something was drawing me inside. The rush of playing? Maybe. The way my heart races when my fingers fly across a the piano? Possibly. The beautiful, indescribable sound of when I hit a golden chord? Most likely.

I unconsciously took a deep breath.

The world felt like it was almost in slow motion as I opened the door, stepping in. Even my blinking felt slowed. My heart slowed. My breath slowed. Even my step was slower than usual.

The room smelled like dust. 

Does dust have a smell? No? Well, it does now. Deal with it.

That sounded a bit harsh. Sorry.

Looking into the room, my heart almost skipped a beat. The wall and floors were completely barren, simply an old wooden floor and pale grey walls. The only thing inside was a beautiful grand piano and an old cushioned piano bench, both completely covered in cobwebs and dust. They looked as if they hadn't been touched in years. 

As my eyes widened, a feather duster appeared in my hands. 

I know what I needed to do.

 

****************

 

2 hours later, I was sat at a freshly cleaned, tuned, and shined grand piano, my fingers sat gently on the keys. 

Taking a deep breath, I raised my hands up a bit. My heart was racing. My palms began to sweat, my pupils dilated slightly. My skin was cold as ice. 

Closing my eyes, I began to play.


	7. Dan

My fingers quickly slid across the keys, every note in its place as if I had never stopped playing in the first place. The tones coming from the freshly cleaned grand piano shone out, becoming beautifully melodic and colorful in every sense of the words. Each struck chord resonated perfectly in my ears. My eyes closed as I took a gentle breath, the music reaching the highest point of crescendo in the piece. I just then realised how much I missed playing, the music not only entering my ears, but my heart and soul (as cheesy as it sounds).

The next thing I knew, I was laid sprawled across the floor, a huge weight crushing my entire body. I shouted out in shock as the large mass slammed into me, blurring my vision. Try as I might, I couldn't budge. I pushed as hard as I could against this giant mass of whatever it was, squirming under the unexpected weight. "G-get off-a me!" I choked out, struggling to breath.

Suddenly, the mass bolted to its feet, allowing me to regain my breath as well as my fading consciousness and vision (and possibly my sanity). However, the sanity was soon lost as I looked up and realised that I actually recognized the lion of a person who had sent me sprawling to the ground mid-song.

"Oh my god, I am so so sorry!" His thick northern accent clearly rang out as he spoke, his eyes wide and mouth hung open slightly, slight tears in his eyes. "Are you alright?" Before I had a chance to reply, he bolted forward, holding his hand out. "Here, let me help you up."

Having no choice, I accepted his offer, placing my tiny seeming hand in his enormous one. Exhaling slightly, he pulled me to my feet, offering an apologetic smile. 

"I really am sorry you know." He said, the words coming out so fast his tongue nearly tripped over them. "I, uh..." He looked down at his feet, his cheeks tinging a dark red tomato-ish colour. "I kind of heard some pretty music coming from inside here, so I.. uh.." He paused again, this time turning his head so that I couldn't even see his face at all. "I wanted to hear it better, so I pressed my ear against the door but I sorta kinda accidentally fell and I'm really sorry and yeah!" He blurted.

Looking back to face me,  his tomato red face settled into a gentle pink blush. "I didn't mean to hurt you, I promise." In his eyes laid such an innocent sincerity that it was nearly impossible to make eye contact. He looked so genuine and pure, like a small puppy, like there was no bad in the world.

I didn't know how to respond. 

He just smiled, awkwardly shuffling his feet while staring down at them. For some reason I felt like I was supposed to follow suit despite never having done something of the sort before. I crossed my ankles, leaning all of my body weight onto the left. 

"So, um-"

"Can you play it again?"

His sudden interjection caused me to stop short, my mouth still hung open from attempting to speak. For a moment, his words didn't register in my brain, leaving me to replay what he had said in my mind over and over again until I understood. All of a sudden, it hit me. A slight blush crept on my cheeks. "W-wait, what?" I tripped over my tongue for each sound.

He offered a gentle, encouraging smile. "Could you please play it again? The song you were playing earlier?" His eyes were filled with innocence, genuine naivety, and pure kindness. His tone was soft and sweet, matching his tender smile. 

"I-I, um, I, why?" Again, I stuttered at each possible moment, practically choking out each word. My cheeks grew hotter each second that passed in his presence. 

His head tilted to the side, letting his dark black fringe flop to the side with it. His eyes flooded with genuine confusion, his eyebrows knitted slightly with childlike innocence. This look was soon replaced with a kind smile, his eyes sparkling like he held the night sky in them. "I'd like really like it if you did." He replied, his smile growing ever so slightly. "I want to hear it again."

Even though I barely knew this boy, I felt a pull towards him, like a desire to make him happier. Perhaps I'd be able to see that infectious smile of his grow a bit more. And besides, its not like I was doing anything too terrible, I was just playing the piano... Which I definitely wanted to do anyways. I wanted to finish my song. That was the most satisfying part: finishing the song, nailing the last note, letting the gentle sound of the piano fade away to nothingness-

"Hey.." The boy spoke again, drawing my attention back to his bright blue eyes. "You don't have to if you don't want to..."

"I do." 

He drew back from me slightly, recoiling in shock. To be perfectly honest, I was a bit surprised myself. I hadn't planned on it, but after saying that, I realised that I do, I honestly do. For some reason, I wanted to play my song for this giant of a dweeb that stood in front of me.

As I looked back up at him, I noticed his gentle expression had morphed into an enormous grin, the skin crinkling around his eyes. My cheeks flushed.  _Cute._

Making sure my face was completely cold and emotionless, I walked back over to the piano, softly sitting on the cushioned bench. As I placed my fingers on the keys, I noticed that I could hear his breathing next to me. Usually people watching me play irritated me, but for some reason I felt incredibly calm and unbothered. My breathing aligned with his. Feeling comfort in my position, I took a breath and began to play.

I could hear the way his breath changed as the pace of the song changed. As soon as I began to play, his breath caught. My heart began to race as the piece called for a crescendo and I found my fingers slamming against the keys, my entire body moving slighty along with the song. Every note rang out as clear as a bell. I could feel his eyes bearing into me as I played, his breath matching my heart rate, changing with the feel of the song. For a few moments, I let my eyes fall shut, simply playing with all of my might. As I played the last note, they fluttered open. The song was over.

The silence was nerve racking. 

I was afraid to turn around, afraid that this boy would somehow find a way to tell me it was terrible, that I was terrible, that he regretted even talking to me. I knew it was coming, I knew it was inevitable. I didn't know if I had the strength to turn around. The song left me feeling drained, like I had ripped my soul out of my body and placed it on the piano for him to view, to judge, to rip apart.

I wasn't expecting him to come to me. 

He walked over, standing next to me. The movement automatically drew my eyes to him, my cheeks flushed even more than before. As my eyes met his, I noticed something I wasn't prepared to see:  _awe._ His eyes shone even more than before, like he had witnessed a miracle unknown to modern man. A half smile was painted on his face, more genuine than I had ever seen a smile.

He slowly began to speak, each word slow and deliberate. "That.." My heart raced with every sound. "was incredible.." He finished. His face lit up with his incredible smile, reaching out towards me slightly. "I had no idea that you could play so well..."

I blushed, my eyes wandering away from his face. Again, I had absolutely no idea how to respond. How does one respond to a compliment? I'm honestly not sure. I don't exactly have much experience with this sort of thing.

"You should really take piano as your fine arts class, you know." We locked eyes. "You really are incredible."

My blush deepened. "Th-th-thanks..." I stuttered.

He grinned. "This was really a wonderful coincidence, huh?"

I nodded, my cheeks heating up to most likely unhealthy temperature levels. 

"I do have one question, though."

My heart stopped. Slowly, my head turned towards him, shaking slightly. "Y-yes?"

His face looked incredibly serious. From what I know about this boy, this was incredibly out of character, even for someone as unpredictable as him. My heart beat heavily in my chest. Suddenly, his expression shifted to a much happier one, joyous and excited. "Was that a song from Love Live?"

I stopped dead in my tracks, staring directly at him. My original fear melted, forming my face into one of confusion and shock. My eyebrows scrunched up, my head tilting to the side. "Wait, you know what Love Live is??" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone that may have been wondering, the piece that Dan is playing in the chapter is "Snow Halation" arranged by Animenz Piano Sheets. You can listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4KmL4KI0cQ


End file.
